RG150 gooey powervalve and random broken spring

[beanz]

Hi, took the exhaust valve (power valve) cover off, and found my poor power valves covered in thick gooey black stuff, with 2 bits of broken spring sticking out.

I'm guessing the spring bits (which look like they were once one spring) are not meant to be floating around aimlessly in there, so does anyone know where they're (its) meant to live?

Also, where has all this black crud come from? Anything to do with my dead spring? The stuff looks like its a chunky mixture of carbon and oil.

Cheers!

[Two Smoker]

Common fault with the RG150's. DOnt worry about the carbon and shit because it does get exhaust gasses etc in there... just clean it out,

If you undo the top centre screw, this releases a small piece of bent metal which holds the 2 springs down (on either side of the screw), take this out and check if the other one is there, if not, well then you powervalves cant be working too well as the springs help push the powervalves out....

Mine is currently running off 1 spring as a temporary fix until i buy i new set....

[DEATH_INC.]

Also, where has all this black crud come from? Anything to do with my dead spring? The stuff looks like its a chunky mixture of carbon and oil.

Cheers!

That's what it'll be orright,a mix of carbon and oil.Run decent oil and get the premix setting checked,you could have too much oil getting in there....

[F5 Dave]

Guys be careful.
The powervalve assembly should be stripped & cleaned every so often or it will crud up, but worse if the sliding bit holding it all together chatters away the valve will fall into meet the piston & it will get real unpretty quick.

This is not an unheard of problem on the 250s (like not if – when) I believe the 150s are similarly affected.

[beanz]

Pulled it all apart today, and yep, the middle bit of one PV is pretty shagged. The nut and bolt had come loose, and the middle bit was floating around munting itself. I've heard they're $300 EACH for new PV's so I'm not about to get new ones. Will prob fill it with weld metal, then machine it up.

And both the springs had broken off too. Man, it was like a used grenade in there.

Anybody with a pair of PV's for me?

[Two Smoker]

Yea a couple for me too although im hoping the nicks in mine can be polished out..... $300 sounds good, COlemans quoted me $400 each there

[beanz]

Sounds like a really common problem on RG's. I'm sure gonna check mine every 6 months from now on. Just need to pull them out, check the springs are still springy, and the bolt is still tight, and clean out the carbon from everywhere.

It seems like a 2-fold design flaw. 1st, the little nut and bolt which forms the sliding stopper for the middle blade can work itself loose, wearing a decent hole in the middle blade, and allowing it to protrude too far into the cylinder and hit the piston. 2nd, the spring can goo up with hard carbon, turning it into a rod rather than a spring, which breaks the spring retainer plate when the valves try to open.

Instead of welding it, I'm going to either get a new middle blade, or if thats too expensive, just fix (countersunk bolts, or pins) the middle blade to the fixed blade, as it doesn't seem to serve much purpose anyway. The big blade does all of the "valving" anyway. I think the middle blade just helps the piston rings stay in the right place as the piston passes the exhaust port.

Hope this helps any other RG owners out there, as if left unfixed, this problem could hand grenade your whole engine.

[F5 Dave]

Yeah I had a friend making valves but it became uneconomic. Regular cleaning will stave off the problem & a decent machinist my be able to recon them by sleeving them perhaps. Oven cleaner should help clean them but don’t leave it on for too long & clean off after.

[jimdaworm]

Does anyone have a photo diagram/how to for pulling out and cleaning the power valves??

[beanz]

Yeh, I've got the service manual in pdf, but its like 100Mb or something. Its divided into a separate pdf per section, so I'll dig out the right one and stick it up on my website. You'll have to give me about a week tho, cos I'm living in london and in the process of getting a fast internet connection set up. My email is keeweechris@hotmail.com. Email me in a few days to see where I'm at.

Cheers
Chris

[jimdaworm]

That would be wicked, then I can print it out at work

[Aiolos]

Oooh, could you also put up the bit about adjusting the oil thingo?

[FROSTY:Me]

I know its a different power valve setup but I used to pull the power valves out of my TZR after every second meeting. That goop will make a fair difference to the bikes performance.
I used to use oven cleaner then a buff then autosol to get a mirror finish on the valves

[ZorsT]

Yeh, I've got the service manual in pdf, but its like 100Mb or something. Its divided into a separate pdf per section, so I'll dig out the right one and stick it up on my website. You'll have to give me about a week tho, cos I'm living in london and in the process of getting a fast internet connection set up. My email is keeweechris@hotmail.com. Email me in a few days to see where I'm at.

Cheers
Chris

I have just entered the world of RG ownership... Expect an e-mail later

[Squiggles]

anyone know if the 1989 rgv250's are affected by the powervalve problem that the older ones seem to have had...i think it was the 91 and 92 models in which they placed the not so good pins...but im not sure...